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What is a Registered Agent?
In most jurisdictions, state law requires you to designate and keep a Registered Agent if you want to form and maintain a Limited Liability Company (LLC). So, what is a Registered Agent? A Registered Agent will be the one claimants contact when they wish to place a claim against your LLC. By making a Registered Agent mandatory for LLC:s, the state ensures that the LLC can be contacted at all times. The Registered Agent will be allowed to accept service of process on behalf of your LLC, and the Registered Agent will also be the one who accepts tax notices and other important documents for the LLC. A Registered Agent must have a registered office in the same state as your LLC will be registered. The address can not be a post office box; it has to be a real street address.
What is a Registered Agent and can I be my own Registered Agent? In most cases, you can be the Registered Agent for your own LLC. You must of course have a registered office within the state of formation, and you can not use a post office box address.
What is a Registered Agent and should I be my own Registered Agent? This is of course up to you. As explained above, being the Registered Agent for your own LLC is permissible in most cases. There are however a few things that you should keep in mind before you decide to be the Registered Agent for your own LLC. A Registered Agent must always be available during normal business hours. Let’s say you have your own carpeting business and spend most of your time in the houses of your clients; will you be available at your registered office during business hours? If the answer is no, then being your own Registered Agent is probably not a good idea.
What is a Registered Agent and what happens if an LLC fails to maintain a Registered Agent? Failing to maintain a Registered Agent is serious, because this can cause an enterprise to lose its LLC status altogether. Another problem is of course that if a LLC does not keep a reliable Registered Agent, the LLC can be unaware of legal claims against it and judgment may be entered against it since it is not there, as a legal entity, to answer for itself.
What is a Registered Agent and how do I get someone else to be my Registered Agent? Assigning someone else to be the Registered Agent for your LLC has several benefits, and for many LLC owners being their own Registered Agent is impossible due to reasons explained above. If you prefer not to be the Registered Agent for your own LLC, you can either ask a reliable third person that you know or employ a service company. There are several service companies specializing in being the Registered Agent for LLC:s. Companies offering LLC counseling and incorporation services will typically also provide a Registered Agent service for their clients.
What is a Registered Agent, is it the same thing as a Resident Agent? Yes.Since the Registered Agent must have an address within the state of formation, a Registered Agent is sometimes referred to as a Resident Agent. |